James William Warren Wilson was born on February 18, 1875 in Farmington, Fulton County, Illinois. He was the 5th child of 6 born to Abram and Minerva Ann Barger Wilson. After finishing in the district school's he attended a term at Greenup High School. From there he went to the Illinois State Normal University at Normal, Illinois. James taught four years at two places. During the summer terms he attended E.I.S.N.S., Charleston Ill. He was also employed as principal of the Trilla Schools. He was a member of the Shiloh C.P. Church. He was married June 18, 1902 to Miss Josephine Pearl Heinemann at Lerna, Coles County, Illinois. To them were born 5 children: Monte Edwin, Dora Pauline, Wilma Majorie, Maxine Jane and Anna May. His son Monte Edwin Wilson stated his favorite tune was "Under the Double Eagle". At a holiday picnic, James suffered a heart attack while swimming (according to his daughter Wilma Majorie Wilson Pace) and drowned on July 3, 1919. According to a newspaper article on his death, it stated: "James William Warren Wilson, a well know farmer living on and a half miles west of Janesville, was drowned in the Embarras River, near the Hanley Ford, at a point almost directly east of Janesville, late on Thursday afternoon. Search was at once begun for the body, but because of the swollen stream little progress could be made, and the efforts of the searchers had been in vain at a late hour this morning. Mr. Wilson and the members of his family, his wife and their five children, had gone to the river in their automobile. The husband and father, coming home from the village had said, "Let's go to the river," and they were soon on their way. Upon reaching the river, being swollen by recent rains, Mr. Wilson, without taking off any of his clothing, said he was going to swim across, and plunged into the war. When about two thirds of the way across he called to his wife that unless she could aid him he would drown. He suddenly grabbed hold of a small branch, but this was too flimsy to hold his weight. The wife gave the alarm, but when the rescuers arrived on the scene the unfortunate man long since had disappeared. Mr. Wilson was about 43 or 44 years of age, and had lived in this vicinity virtually all his life. For several years he was a teacher in the schools in Lerna and later became a railway mail clerk on the Illinois Central for about six or seven years ago he quit the railraod work and became a farmer west of the village. Surviving are the wife and five children, ranging in age from fourteen years to two months, and three sisters, Mrs. Wilbert Peters, living in Jackson county; Mrs. Jason Peters, Decatur and Mrs. Furry." James is buried with his wife in Janesville Cemetery in Janesville, Coles County, Illinois. His son Monte Edwin Wilson stated on a number of occasions that he didn't understand how such a good swimmer could drown. Some of the original information and records are in the possession of Charles Duane Wilson, Sr., the submitters cousin.